AERIAL SEARCH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 9, 2 September 1931, Page 3

AERIAL SEARCH

Press Association—

NO SIGN OF MISSING STUDENTS NOT ABOVE SNOW-LINE.

-Copyrig-ht.

By Telephone — "Post" Special Service.' TAUPO, Tuesday. Squadron-Leader L- M. Isitt, officer in charge of the Hobsonville Air Base, with Mr Stanley Gillies, of Taupo, as observer, left Tauhara aerodrome early this morning on a reeonnaissance flight over the western and southern slopes of Mt. Ruapehu. On returning at 9.15 a.m., Squad-lon-Leader Isitt stated that visibility had been perfect and about an hour had been spent in combing the area thoroughly. The air^r- were able to see tracks of thc ski- parties on ihe snow, but no searchers or any of the lost trampers were seen- Had they been above the snow-line, they would certainly have been seen in the good yisibility condiitions ■"-ailingBush Too Dense. Squadron-Leader Isitt stated that over the bush it was absolutely im]iossible to see anything from the air owing to its density and it was apparent that further aerial search would not be of any avail in view of the fact that it now seemed certain that none of the lost party were above tbe snow line. Flight-Lieutenant Wallingford ar"•ived at the aerodrome at 8 a.m. from Auckland in a second Air Force Moth, and Captain Hevitt arrived in the Moth Falcon, from Rotorua shortly afterwards to assist in the search if possible. Squadron-Leader Isitt stated that the Auckland Aero Club had also offered a Moth but in view of the facts above stated, he felt that further reconnaissance would be fruitless. The three pilots left for Auckland at 11.30 a.m.